The extreme opposition to christianity was present in bands like Slayer, Merciful Fate, Sepultura, Bathory, Destruction, Sodom, and Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, leading me to believe that the ground between romanticizing an occult worldview and criticizing christianity vs. all-out intolerance for it was broken in around '83.

1983 was right when the cold war almost got hot with Ronald Reagan in charge. The Christian United States was going to beat those Atheist commies down, with the help of brave allies like Israel. That was when people put together the 1960s idea of "anti-establishment" with the knowledge that Christianity was as bad as conservativism. Then in the 1990s they realized liberalism was another form of Christianity. In the 2000s we are seeing that not only liberalism but an attitude of tolerance toward all people as equals is the problem. Because metal now sucks!

It's the same problem metal has, many bands that are just heavy rock are lumped into the catagory metal, which broadens it's meaning further, making it indefiniabel as a whole. In both genres there are the good, and there are the bad.

Yeah, but I don't see rock bands writing eleven riffs to fit together like a Rubik's Cube like Slayer does. What rock album is like Gorguts Obscura?

The problem we're having here is that metal is divided between fakers and people who get it in varying degrees. White Zombie isn't metal, Helmet isn't metal, Ministry isn't metal, is COF really black metal?

Even 1970s heavy metal was different from rock. Rock music sucks. So now does most metal. Is there a lesson to be learned here?

I hate thrash metal. At least Metallica is musical, and Exodus was on a good day. But the Kreator, Sodom, Destruction, Vio-Lence, Death Angel, Dark Angel, Pantera style of music without melody bores the living crap out of me. I think thrash metal should stay in the 1980s and rot there. It's music for people with no attention span.

"Music determines lifestyle". I believe it is massively influential but ultimately only a moron allows music to dictate their sense of fashion and how they live. Living as a nihilist (non-fatalistic type) does not necessarily come as a direct result of listening to metal - the influence exists but you need to be smart enough to understand nihilism before you can adopt it as an intellectual tool.

It's the other way around. Because you're a nihilst, you can understand and create metal music. If you're not you end up sounding like Nirvana (fags).

The article Metalist posted answers the question raised here. Most youth cultures sell out because they are in fact sold out. Metal was for a time not sold out, but black metal now is about participation for all, not being the best, so it's as passive as emo and about as shitty.

New Graveland has become old Emperor. This reminds me of the Emperor/Enslaved split, but more polished and more balanced. It is almost like he has lost some the ragged passion that marked earlier releases, and knows too much what he's doing. He needs to play xylophone in a symphony until he feels incompetent and paranoid again, maybe get a black girlfriend so his politics aren't quite so watertight.

Thanks for this. Unfortunately we had to leave out quite a few musical styles as we are trying to recruit people from around the world. I had to strike a balance between being comprehensive and not boring people to death with musical styles they may not have heard of in their region (e.g. just had an email from India asking what hip hop was!). Sorry if your favourite wasn't included but thanks for your help all the same.

It's easy to overthink this one. When you're going to do anything, make it worth your time. If you listen to music, get the best and most passionate and powerful stuff you can find. Isn't this just stating the obvious? Is the word "mediocre" too hard to find in a dictionary? This post is useless.

Metal as potential to be art as well as Rock, or Electronica or Jazz. Metal hasn't got the exclusive of art in music. People keep forgeting this in this forum.

Television commercials have potential to be art too. But they never are, because they are simple and designed for a simple function. Rock music is like a television commercial but it lasts 2.4 minutes longer.

"I believe in a more peaceful world, and it really confounds me that people can't trust themselves."

Did the lead vocalist of an eardrum-crushing death metal outfit just say he believed in a peaceful world?

Those unfamiliar with the metal scene may be perplexed by Greenway. While his animated stage presence and singing style that consists mainly of deep grunting may have onlookers casting stereotypes, Greenway doesn't have a hateful bone in his body. He doesn't worship Satan or sacrifice goats.

Instead, he keeps abreast of world events and promotes the concept of democracy. He has expressed strong anti-conservative and anti-national socialist views.

He also supports animal rights and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

"I've got Motown in my music and some ambient stuff," Greenway said. "I'm a music fan. Even if your view of music isn't wide in the first place, it will be once you're in a band and on the road."